Early the next morning.
John rode Arcanine while Saul sat atop Gogoat as they made their way through the Mayan Forest.
"Professor, are they still following us?" John asked Saul.
"Yes." Saul nodded curtly.
"How bold of them," John said with mild amusement.
During dinner last night, his professor had mentioned that an Elite-level Sableye was tailing them, which had caught John completely off guard.
When had such a powerful Pokemon appeared outside the Mayan Forest? There was an eighty percent chance it belonged to a trainer.
However, for an Elite-level opponent to dare target Saul Badman, one of the top breeders in Draconia, seemed like they were seriously overestimating their abilities.
"They’re after you specifically," Saul explained, handing his phone to John. "While traveling, my appearance is being altered by Zoroark’s illusion abilities, so it’s impossible for them to detect my true identity. This is the person following us, see if you have any grudges against him."
"I need to catch a Zoroark too," John decided, reaching for the phone.
The screen displayed the face of an unfamiliar foreigner.
John rarely traveled abroad, let alone had grudges against foreigners. He didn’t even know any foreigners personally.
But since this person commanded an Elite-level Pokemon, he couldn’t be a nobody on the international scene.
John entered the photo into a search engine.
Results appeared immediately. This foreigner was indeed a celebrity, with a detailed Wikipedia entry.
The person following John was named "Jack Wales."
He was one of the Elite Four from the the Castelia Federation in the West, and was also a renowned jeweler.
He specialized in Electric-type Pokemon, but his ace Pokemon was actually the Ghost-type "Sableye", all because he had later acquired a Mega Stone for Sableye.
It was perfectly normal to train Pokemon specifically because of Mega Stones.
This was actually the standard approach for trainers seeking to raise Mega Pokemon.
Mega Stones were incredibly rare, and few people could simply obtain the exact stones they wanted.
When no one was willing to trade, many trainers would choose to raise a Pokemon corresponding to whatever Mega Stone they possessed rather than let it go to waste.
Clearly, Jack Wales was one such case.
John investigated further and found numerous online reports speculating that Wales might be connected to a foreign criminal organization called "Hunter Camp." However, due to lack of conclusive evidence, he had never been arrested.
So it seemed someone from a criminal group was indeed following him.
John didn’t need to think hard to realize the other party saw him as prey.
After all, who could resist the temptation of a Mega Shiny Gardevoir and Mega Garchomp?
Especially out here in this wild forest where no one came and went.
"It’s dangerous abroad," John sighed inwardly, then looked up at his professor. "It’s one of the Elite Four from the Castelia Federation. They’re definitely following us with bad intentions."
"Should we strike first?"
"No need. We’ll continue on our path, and if they’re seeking death, they’ll deliver themselves to our doorstep," Saul said casually. He didn’t consider the Elite Four from the Castelia Federation worth worrying about.
"That’s right." With his professor by his side, John wasn’t panicked at all, if anything, he was looking forward to it. "Mentor, if there’s a fight, let me handle it!"
"I want to challenge Elite-level opponents after the New Year. The Castelia Federation is just a small western country. Their Elite certainly isn’t as strong as our’s, but they should provide decent practice."
John rubbed his hands together, eager for action.
"Very well." Saul knew that John had once defeated Harrison. Even if his strength hadn’t quite reached Elite level, it was close.
So rather than worry about John, Saul felt sorry for their pursuer.
The Elite Four of small countries lived such pitiful lives.
"By the way, Mentor, how exactly do we rescue Professor Scarlett from the spatial rift?" John had always been curious about this.
"It’s quite simple, we just tear open space again."
Technically nothing was wrong with that statement, but it had a distinctly arrogant ring to it.
"Once space is torn, it leaves traces that ordinary people and ordinary Pokemon cannot perceive. However, for Pokemon who control space, these rifts are traceable," Saul explained.
"So, as long as you find the place where space was once torn, guide it with a Pokemon capable of controlling space, then tear it open again with sufficient force, the spatial rift leading to the same world can reappear."
"Does that mean I need to return the Lustrous Orb and Gengar’s Mega Stone to you first?" Speaking of controlling space, John naturally thought of his professor’s Gengar and the Lustrous Orb he’d just been given.
"You named that orb the Lustrous Orb? That’s quite fitting."
"But there’s no need. Even without the Lustrous Orb and Mega Stone, my Gengar can still locate spatial rifts," Saul shook his head slightly.
As someone at the pinnacle of Draconia’s breeding world, he had both the confidence and strength to make such statements.
Breeders were never just masters of theoretical knowledge.
Knowledge required practice to be validated.
Therefore, breeders were never people without strength. On the contrary, more than half of the current top 100 contestants in the World Pokemon Tournament had breeding backgrounds.
Even pure trainers typically had research and learning experience related to breeding.
After all, only by understanding Pokemon could one cultivate them properly!
"However, I don’t know how large the world behind that spatial rift is. Once opened, the rift will close within a short time, making it impossible to search for Scarlett directly."
"So I’ll need your help."
"I need you to enter that spatial rift carrying a space locator." Saul handed over a black metal cylinder resembling a thermos.
"What does this do?" John took the space locator and examined it. It wasn’t light, probably weighing about ten pounds.
He gestured to his right, and Gengar, who had been residing in John’s shadow, poked his head out and opened his mouth, swallowing the device into his stomach.
John still treated Gengar’s stomach like a convenient storage drawer.
"When you enter that spatial rift, I can use the space locator to determine the position of the world behind it and construct a temporary spatial channel."
"That way, you can return with Scarlett."